Once Upon a Storm Night
by PrincessDream
Summary: This is my first ever fanfic, so feel free to give me your impression. Quick note, english is not my first language, so sorry for the mistakes! This is a one-shot of what I think happened on the boat after Dimitri rescued Anya.


She put her head on his chest, and he started to hug her. He felt good, even though it was still Anya, the annoying Anya, but after their dance, it seems like he was seeing her differently. They hugged each other for what seems like an eternity and when she pulled away from him, she felt a little bit awkward. She has never been this close to Dimitri … she has never been this close to a man! Dimitri was annoying her every time, but in his arms, she felt safe, like nothing could ever happen to her. What was going on? Ever since they danced, she felt something different from him, and she was not sure about what it was…

"Maybe we should get back to the cabin … you're all wet and it will be best if you put some dry clothes on if you don't want to get a cold." He said it like he really cared for her, he was starting to but he couldn't admit it to himself. She nodded and slowly they started heading back.

They entered the cabin in silence, they didn't want to wake Vladimir up. Pooka was happy to see her alive. "Here, take my vest, it's dry, you'll just have to give it back to me tomorrow."

"What about you?" she said.

"I'll be fine, don't worry about me, you're the one who almost jumped off that ship! Now change."

"Are you going to look at me while I change? Or are you going to give me some privacy?" She said, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh, of course, yes! I'm sorry." He mumbled while turning his back. The same way he mumbled these stupid things during their dance … of course she was wearing the dress … of course they stopped dancing … what was he thinking? It's just that he was lost in her beautiful big blue eyes. It's not like he didn't see them before, but with the sunset light and the proximity that they had, it just felt like he discovered them in a new way. A perfect way. He heard her get into her bed.

"Your turn to change now, I will not look I promise, I might even fall asleep right away." He gave her a quick smile, she never saw him smile with such sincerity, with such … love? No, it wasn't love… They were always bickering about stupid little things. It couldn't possibly be that. But the way he held her outside after rescuing her … it felt like he didn't want to let her go. And she didn't want to let go of him … what was going on? What was happening in her heart? She sighs and turn away from him. _I'm just tired, I had a lot of emotions tonight, I'm just tired and tomorrow, everything will be back to normal_.

"Goodnight Anya, try to sleep OK?"

"Yeah, goodnight Dimitri."

She couldn't sleep, she needed to know something…

"Dimitri?"

"Yes?" he said, with a little annoyance in his voice.

"Why did you rescue me? I mean, we are always fighting, and you don't seem to like me very much… I know that if I jumped I would have died, but why did you save me?"

"I don't know, I guess I don't want to see you die? Look Anya, even though we don't see eye to eye, I still want to help you find your family, it would be sad if, after all this journey, you just die during the night because you were not aware that you were on the railing of a boat and you fell on the water. It is a stupid way to die."

He bites his tongue at the last words, did he really need to say that? Yes! It was a stupid death! But he didn't want to scare her more, he couldn't tell her that all he wanted was the money for him and Vlad. Or was it? Was it really what he wanted? Or he just really didn't want her to die because he cared about her? Caring about a skinny little brat? No. Or maybe? She wasn't that skinny, she looked like a normal woman, with normal features and a face and beautiful eyes and beautiful lips and … what was he thinking?

"Look Anya, just go to sleep OK? I'm tired and so are you."

She nodded, and then she didn't want to sleep. At least not in that way. She wanted to be in his arms again, feeling the strength of his arms protecting her, she wanted him close to her not on the other side of the room.

"Dimitri?"

"Yes?" he said exasperatedly.

"Can you, no, that is silly never mind, goodnight!"

"What do you want?" She could feel that he rolled his eyes.

"Can you just hold my hand? While we sleep? I know it's silly, but I think I will feel more secure that way."

He sighed but she heard him come closer and he took her hand. Both smiled at that simple touch, so simple yet so intimate. It felt just right.

"Dimitri?"

"What again your Highness?"

"Thank you, thank you for everything."

He smiled: "Goodnight Anya."

"Goodnight."


End file.
